


we made it through another year.

by pyroallerdyce



Series: a dyad in the force (aka all my ben/rey fics) [181]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, Alternate Universe - No Powers, December writing challenge, F/M, Friendship, Getting Together, Inspired by Music, Male-Female Friendship, New Year's Eve, New Year's Kiss, Party, Pre-Relationship, Prompt Fic, Prompt Fill, Relationship(s), Tumblr Prompt, Wordcount: 1.000-3.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:01:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,980
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28417272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pyroallerdyce/pseuds/pyroallerdyce
Summary: Ben listened to his mother give him details of the New Year’s Eve party that she was throwing, but he wanted nothing to do with the situation.  He knew that he was going to have to go if only to shut his mother up, but he was not in the mood for it.  He just wanted to stay home and watch the celebrations on TV and then sleep.  That’s all he wanted.“Oh, and Benjamin?  You are required to bring a date to this.”or:  Ben has to bring a date to his parents' NYE party.  He ends up bringing the girl he's in love with.  Though Rey doesn't know that last part.  Ben doesn't know she feels the same way either.
Relationships: Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Series: a dyad in the force (aka all my ben/rey fics) [181]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1601755
Comments: 8
Kudos: 56
Collections: December Writing Challenge - 2020





	we made it through another year.

**Author's Note:**

> December writing challenge day 29. I am so looking forward to this being over. It's been a struggle.
> 
> And as always if you like what you read and you want to see more, please let me know via a comment or kudos or bookmark so that I know I'm not writing into a void. Enjoy!
> 
> December 29 Prompt: “Hey, want to help me get my parents off my ass about not having a date?” (ravenclawnerd on Tumblr)  
> Title Song: We Made It Through Another Year by Nerina Pallot

Ben listened to his mother give him details of the New Year’s Eve party that she was throwing, but he wanted nothing to do with the situation. He knew that he was going to have to go if only to shut his mother up, but he was not in the mood for it. He just wanted to stay home and watch the celebrations on TV and then sleep. That’s all he wanted.

“Oh, and Benjamin? You are required to bring a date to this.”

Ben closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Mama, you know that there is no one to bring as a date.”

“And I know that is bullshit,” Leia said firmly. “You think I can’t tell when my baby boy is in love? You’re bringing this woman.”

“I am not lying to you, Mama. There is no one to bring so I will be coming alone.”

“You are as stubborn as your father,” Leia said, and then to Ben’s relief, she hung up. 

He walked into his kitchen and had barely pulled down a couple of glasses when his phone rang again, and he answered it without looking at who it was, fully expecting it to be on of his friends because they were supposed to be there at any minute. “Hey.”

“That is no way to answer the telephone, Benjamin,” came Han’s voice, and Ben wanted to scream.

“My apologies. I was expecting it to be someone else.”

“Yes, this woman that your mother has been telling me about. You are bringing her to this party. And that is an order.”

“Dad,” Ben said, but Han had hung up before he could get the word out.

Well, fuck.

He might be able to get away with ignoring his mother’s request, but he could not disobey an order from his father. That had been instilled in him when he was a child and he found as an adult that he couldn’t break that habit no matter how much he wanted to shove his father’s order back in his face.

The doorbell rang a moment later, and Ben took a deep breath before going to answer it. Rey and Finn were standing there, and Ben let them in. “Hey, guys.”

“Hey, Ben,” Finn said, holding up a bag. “I brought vodka.”

“Fantastic. I was just starting to get down glasses in the kitchen.”

“Then I’ll go pour us all a drink,” Finn said. 

Rey smiled at Ben as Finn headed into the kitchen. “Poe said he and Zorii will be a little late, and Rose is picking up dinner then she’ll be here.”

“Perfect.”

Rey set her bag down and turned to Ben with a smile. “You’re coming over for New Year’s Eve, right? I’m just going to watch the Times Square celebrations like usual and then pass out.”

The moment Rey said that an idea occurred to Ben, and he was speaking before he could really think through it. “Hey, want to help get my parents off my ass about not having a date?”

“What?”

“My parents are having a New Year’s Eve party and I’ve been ordered to bring a date,” Ben said. “And you know that there is clearly no one for me to bring, so would you like to go with me? I mean, you would have to get all dressed up because my parents are throwing some big black-tie affair.”

Rey peered at him with curiosity for a few moments before nodding. “Yeah. A party sounds fun.”

Ben breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you so much. I promise I will make this up to you. Buy you dinner or something.”

“Sounds great,” Rey said, looking towards the kitchen when Finn called out their names. “Let’s go get our drinks.”

The doorbell rang at that exact moment and Ben smiled. “I’ll answer this first.”

Rey headed towards the kitchen and Ben turned to the door, taking a deep breath. Alright, a date for his parents’ dumb party was sorted. Perfect.

Though the fact that the date was Rey was going to become a problem when he’d want to kiss her senseless at midnight and she would rather hug instead like they had done for each of the three previous New Year’s Eves. 

Fuck, he wanted her so badly.

But she was doing him a favor, and then he would buy her dinner afterward, and they’d continue being friends because that was clearly all she wanted them to be. 

The doorbell ringing again broke Ben of his thoughts and he was glad. There was no need to think about things that weren’t going to happen.

**********

Rey stared at herself in the mirror, trying to decide if the dress she was wearing was the right dress to wear to the party. She knew that Ben had only asked her as a friend, but she was hoping to use the night as an opportunity to get him to think of her as more than that.

Fuck, she wanted him so badly.

She took a deep breath when she heard the knock at her door, and she looked at herself in the mirror one last time. It was going to have to work, whether it was the right dress or not. She did look good though. Definitely.

She opened the door to find Ben standing there in a tuxedo and she swallowed hard. “Well,” she managed to say, “you look handsome.”

“I feel like an idiot,” Ben said seriously. “But you look beautiful.”

Rey smiled and tried to ignore how that made her feel all warm inside. “Thank you very much.”

“Ready to go?”

Rey nodded. “Yeah, let’s go.”

Ben held out his arm like a gentleman. “Allow me to escort you.”

Rey took another deep breath and took Ben’s arm. She had to get his attention tonight. This was her last attempt. If it didn’t work, well.

Then she’d just have to get over this. 

She really didn’t want to have to get over this.

**********

Leia took one look at Ben and Rey when they arrived and shook her head. Ben had been instructed to bring a date. She had not meant one of his close friends. Before she could make her way over to them, she was interrupted by some friends that she had to stop and talk to.

And then more.

And then more.

And then more.

But she kept her eyes on Ben and Rey as she talked to these other people, and it wasn’t long before she came to a conclusion.

They were in love with each other.

And as she observed more, she realized that they hadn’t told each other that.

Well, that was going to change that night.

She broke away from the people she’d been speaking to and found Han, quickly explaining the situation to him. Then they approached Ben and Rey together, Han quickly asking to speak with Ben. Leia told him that she would stay with Rey, and then Han and Ben walked away. 

“The place looks wonderful, Leia,” Rey said, “and your dress is stunning.”

“Well, thank you,” Leia responded. “You look gorgeous tonight, Rey. Ben won’t be able to resist you.”

Rey practically choked on the drink she’d just gotten. “Excuse me?”

“Oh, darling, it’s obvious on both of your parts,” Leia said, putting a hand on Rey’s arm. “And it’s very welcomed. I couldn’t have dreamed of a better daughter-in-law than you.”

“What?” Rey got out, barely able to breathe. 

Leia just smiled at her. “It’ll happen. And it’ll happen tonight.”

And then Leia walked away, leaving Rey standing there unsure of what had just happened.

**********

“I instructed you to bring the woman you love,” Han said seriously. “I was not expecting that woman to be Rey.”

“We’re just friends, Dad,” Ben said. “And I told you all there was no woman.”

“It’s obvious, Benjamin. Your mother noticed it straight away and once she told me to watch you for a few moments, I came to the same conclusion. I’m surprised that Rey hasn’t noticed.”

“Fuck,” Ben breathed out. “Really? I don’t want to lose her as a friend.”

“You can relax, son,” Han said, shaking his head. “She quite clearly feels the same way.”

“No, she doesn’t,” Ben said quickly. 

“That is bullshit,” Han said seriously. “Now, you’re going over to her, and you’re telling her how you feel tonight, and then you’re kissing her at midnight. And if you do not do that, I will tell her on your behalf.”

“Dad,” Ben started, but Han just gave him a look.

“That’s an order, Benjamin.”

And then Han walked away, leaving Ben standing there unsure of what had just happened.

**********

To say the rest of the night was awkward would be an understatement. Ben didn’t know what Leia had said to Rey, and Rey didn’t know what Han had said to Ben, but they were both extremely cautious about what they said or they acted. But as midnight approached, Ben realized that he was going to have to either finally disobey one of his father’s orders or ruin his friendship with Rey.

“Rey, would you like to dance?” Ben asked without thinking, and when Rey smiled at him, he was relieved. 

“I was wondering if we were ever going to,” she said, and that just Ben feel like shit. 

“I’m sorry, I guess I haven’t been very good company tonight.”

“It’s alright,” Rey said. “I’ve been pretty uncomfortable too.”

“Then let’s dance,” Ben said, holding out his arm. 

They made their way onto the dance floor and Rey saw Leia watching them from across the room. She quickly turned her head away from her gaze. Nothing Leia said was going to happen and Rey knew it.

Ben spotted Han staring at him and knew that he was running out of time to make his decision. Instead of thinking about things any more, he put his hands on Rey’s waist and smiled at her. “I’m a terrible dancer, just so you know.”

“I’m a terrible dancer too,” Rey laughed. “Let’s just have some fun.”

“Yeah, let’s,” Ben said, and then they began to move to the music.

When the call went up that it was thirty seconds to midnight, Ben took a deep breath and made a decision. 

He’d do a little of both.

“Rey,” he said, trying to ignore the nerves coursing through him. “When it hits midnight, what would you like for us to do? Because I have an idea.”

“And what is this idea?” 

Ben swallowed hard. “I think we should kiss,” he forced himself to say.

Rey stood there in shock for so long that he quickly started to backtrack. “We don’t have to. I mean, we just don’t.”

“Ben,” Rey eventually said, grinning at him, “I think we should have done that a long time ago.”

Ben felt immediate relief flow through him. “Me too.”

“So, I think we start with a kiss at midnight,” Rey said. “Then this week you buy me that dinner you said you would for me coming to this with you, and then we see where it goes from there.”

“I think that sounds fabulous.”

“Ten!”

Ben stepped closer to Rey, bringing his hand up to her face and caressing her cheek. “You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”

“Nine!”

“You don’t have to lie to me,” Rey breathed out.

“Eight!”

“I’m not.”

“Seven!”

Ben couldn’t take the anticipation for a second longer and pulled Rey to him, bringing their lips together. Rey practically melted against him and they lost themselves in the kiss. Somewhere in the background, they heard someone yell “Happy New Year!” as they broke apart to breathe, and they both laughed. 

“We should do that again,” Ben said. “Make sure we start the new year right.”

Rey grinned. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard a better idea.”


End file.
